1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a floor care appliance such as a vacuum cleaner and, more specifically, to a vacuum cleaner having a pivoting duct arrangement for automatically shutting off suction to the suction nozzle when the cleaner handle is in the upright position.
2. Summary of the Prior Art
Upright vacuum cleaners are well known in the art. Typically, these upright vacuum cleaners include a vacuum cleaner housing pivotally mounted to a vacuum cleaner foot. The foot is formed with a nozzle opening and may include an agitator mounted therein for loosening dirt and debris from a floor surface. A motor may be mounted to either the foot or the housing for producing suction at the nozzle opening. The suction at the nozzle opening picks up the loosened dirt and debris and produces a stream of dirt-laden air which is ducted to the vacuum cleaner housing.
It is known in the art to provide floor care and vacuum cleaners with conversion valve assemblies that shut off nozzle suction to the suction nozzle when the cleaner handle is placed in the upright position. It is desirous to shut off the nozzle suction in these cleaners so that maximum suction is directed to the accessory hose in the off the floor or tool mode.
For example, in U.S. Pat. No. 5,351,361 issued to Buchtel, an upright cleaner is provided with both above the floor and normal floor operation by the provision of a conversion valve that is driven to converted position by movement of the cleaner handle to storage position. Reconversion also may be obtained by placement of the cleaner handle again in its operative cleaner manipulative range.
Another example can be found in U.S. Pat. No. 5,247,720 issued to Sovis, et al. provides a suction cleaner includes a floor nozzle and a handle pivotally connected to the floor nozzle. A suction creating device is located in one of the handle and the floor nozzle and a filter bag is secured to the handle. A first passageway leads from the floor nozzle to the filter bag. A first valve member is located in the first air passageway. A cleaning tool hose is secured to the handle. A second air passageway leads from the cleaning tool hose to a filter bag. A second valve member is located in the second air passageway.
It is an object of the invention to provide an improved floor care appliance having a pivoting duct arrangement for automatically shutting off suction to the suction nozzle when the cleaner handle is in the upright position.
It is yet still another object of the invention to provide an improved floor care appliance having a pivoting duct arrangement for automatically shutting off suction to the suction nozzle when the cleaner handle is in the upright position so that maximum suction is directed to the accessory hose for off the floor use.